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Andy Sawford MP provides students with an insight into legal issues of the political world

Wednesday 18 February 2015

​​The behaviour of politicians, prisoner voting rights, the conflict in Ukraine and the General Election were among the topics covered by Andy Sawford MP when he addressed students during a guest lecture at the University of Northampton.

Mr Sawford, the Labour Party’s Member of Parliament for Corby, gave a wide-ranging and informative talk on legal issues after being invited to speak by the University’s Law department.

Before his lecture, Mr Sawford was interviewed by two students on the University’s Multimedia Journalism degree course, who quizzed him on the importance of voting and the General Election.

Nick Cartwright, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University, said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Sawford to the University and really appreciated his willingness to speak to our students and also for agreeing to be interviewed.

“His lecture was thoroughly entertaining and provided our Law students with a real appreciation of how legal issues and politics can be so intertwined.

“The University has a great track record of attracting leading figures from across the political spectrum, and the contact they have with our students further enhances the excellent academic experience we offer here at the University.”

Mr Sawford added: “I was very pleased to take this opportunity to talk to the students. To preserve a healthy democracy, it is vital that young people engage with politics and express their ideas.

“It was great, therefore, to have a lively and challenging discussion about the issues on which they feel strongly.”

Mr Sawford’s visit is a prime example of how the University brings real-world experiences and insights to student learning, which in turn results in high employability.

Ninety-six per cent of graduates are employed or are completing further studies further studies within six months of graduating.

The University has welcomed a number of guest speakers from across the political spectrum, with recent high-profile visitors including Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Theresa May, senior Labour MP Tessa Jowell and leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett.